title: Circulating lipocalin-2 and retinol-binding protein 4 are associated with intima-media thickness and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lipocalin family proteins, including lipocalin-2 and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), are adipokines closely associated with obesity-related metabolic disorders. In this study, we evaluated the association of serum lipocalin-2 and RBP4 with intima-media thickness (IMT) and subclinical atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of lipocalin-2 and RBP4 were measured in 284 type 2 diabetic patients. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by IMT at carotid, femoral and iliac arteries with ultrasound. Patients with subclinical atherosclerosis showed significantly higher circulating concentrations of lipocalin-2 and RBP4 when compared to those without [112.9 (86.4 to 202.1) µg/L versus 77.2(55.0-150.4) µg/L, 37.1(32.3-40.8) mg/L versus 23.2(20.1-29.2) mg/L, respectively; P = 0.002, P<0.001, respectively]. Moreover, positive correlations were observed between carotid IMT and lipocalin-2 (r = 0.170, P = 0.018) or RBP4 (r = 0.132, P = 0.040), femoral IMT and lipocalin-2 (r = 0.160, P = 0.027), as well as between iliac IMT and RBP4 (r = 0.241, P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that these two adipokines were independent risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating levels of lipocalin-2 and RBP4 are positively correlated with carotid IMT and subclinical atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes, which suggests a potential role of these two lipid-binding chaperones in the pathogenesis of vascular complications of diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, the Second Xiangya Hospital, and Institute of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Gan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhiguang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma